TORTOLA—A four-day soccer camp that attracted 50 participants and was conducted by the Heads Up Soccer Academy in Pennsylvania, wrapped on up Virgin Gorda on Friday. Jim Polimo, a regular visitor to Virgin Gorda and board member of the Philadelphia area girls soccer league, said they brought down several coaches to conduct the program for the second successive summer. “The goal of the program is both soccer and cultural,” he pointed out. “We bring down coaches and trainers teaching kids in the camp and it’s a memory they’ll have as a soccer and intercultural experience between the United States and Virgin Gorda.”

BVIFA president Franka Pickering, right, coach Vincent "Nabu" Samuel, left and members of the Under 20 Team before they departed for Grenada. Photo>Dean "The Sportsman" Greenaway

TORTOLA--The British Virgin Islands’ Under 20 Football team will face Grenada at 2 p.m. today in the 2009 CONCACAF qualifying tournament at the Panteen Recreational Grounds in St. Georges, where it will also they will also face St. Vincent and Guyana, in the tournament that runs from today through Sunday. Team BVI will face St. Vincent and the Grenadines at 2 p.m. on Friday and Guyana at 2 p.m. on Sunday, before returning home on Monday. Head coach Vincent “Nabu” Samuel said the BVI is fielding a young team which averages just over 16 years. “We are in the development process and we are basically hoping that these guys can put their best foot forward,” he said.

FIFA official, Harold Taylor, right, with BVIFA president Franka Pickering to his right and other executive members. Photo>Dean "The Sportsman" Greenaway

TORTOLA—The British Virgin Islands Football Association executive committee, hosted FIFA official Harold Taylor and his secretary Mariana Lee, in a weekend retreat. Taylor, who is the FIFA Development Officer for the CONCACAF region, presided over the association’s recent elections. He said Saturday’s retreat went well. “I thought it was important to comeback and have this retreat so that they understand how FIFA operates, what we have available for them and how we expect them to take football forward in the BVI,” Taylor explained. “From the feedback I got and the questions they asked, I think they understand now very well how they have to operate.”

Coach Patrick Mitchell, left, standing along with coaches and players on the BVI Football Team after they returned from the Bahamas on Monday afternoon. Photo>Dean "The Sportsman" Greenaway

TORTOLA—The British Virgin Islands’ Nature Boyz missed their chance to dance with Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz on June 14, by the slimmest of margins. Dubbed a homeless and bottom of the barrel team, the BVI squad put up a brave fight on Sunday, but fell in the end to host Bahamas by the slimmest of margins. The 2-2 draw on the night saw the series finish 3-3 on aggregate, but the Bahamas won out by virtue of the away goals rule, after both teams played to a 1-1 draw on Wednesday. Michael Bethel opened the scoring for the Bahamians after 40 minutes on Sunday. Seven minutes into the second period, Demont Mitchell made it 2-0.  Led by captain Avondale “Avon” Williams the BVI roared back and drew level with goals in the 78th and 90th minutes.

Most of the BVI Team from their 2004 matchup against St. Lucia, stays in tact. Photo>Dean "The Sportsman" Greenaway

TORTOLA—The homeless Nature Boyz are trying to prove the Bahamas’ mantra ‘It’s Better in the Bahamas’ is really true. After securing a 1-1 draw against the Bahamas in its home leg of the 2010 FIFA World Cup preliminary competition on Wednesday, the British Virgin Islands’ team is confident ahead of Sunday's 4 p.m. away leg at the BFA National Center in Nassau. “We want to make one or two changes because we realized they are very slow in defense and we have some quicker guys that we didn’t actually use,” head coach Patrick Mitchell noted. “We are thinking of using them coming down the flanks from in the middle in the next game. I think we can penetrate better if we use those guys.”